Departures Morning
by shooting07star
Summary: She’s leaving. He’s torn between making her stay with him and letting her pursue her dreams. Ryoma x Sakuno
1. Chapter 1

**Departure's Morning**

By: junpei03

DISCLAIMER:

Tennis No Ohjisama does not belong to me. Yeah. I only own this fanfiction.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Yo. Yeah this is my very first Prince of Tennis fanfiction. The song in this fanfiction is Departure's Morning by Arashi. I'm not really sure that you guys will like the way I portrayed Ryoma's personality here. If it's a bit OOC then gomen. This was supposed to be one shot only but then when I finished writing it, I noticed that it's too long to be a oneshot fic. Well, enough with this senseless babble (not like you guys are reading this anyway. on with the fanfction.

SUMMARY:

She's leaving. He's torn between making her stay with him and letting her pursue her dreams. Ryoma x Sakuno

NOTES:

Text in **…….** : lyrics in japanese

Text in **(…….)** : lyrics in english

CHAPTER 1: Gone 

The sun's harsh rays came streaming into the window, slowly coaxing him to wake up.

**Soro soro ikune**

**(It's about time to go.)**

He turned to the other side, pulling the comforter above his head, trying to bury himself in. it's not that he's trying to get some more shut-eye, nor is he just trying to laze around. He's just..afraid. Even though he knows that it's useless, he still tries to pretend. After all, that's one of the things he's good at. He's now pretending that everything that happened this past few weeks is nothing but a dream. A nightmare. That the moment he opens his eyes, he'll see her sitting by the bedroom window, reading one of her books. That the moment she sees that he's awake, she'll give him her sweetest smile and hear her greet him "ohayo" in her trademark shy voice

**Ookina baakuni**

**(In my big backpack)**

And he'll give her a faint smile in return, thanking that she didn't really leave him. But he knew better than to hope. He just didn't want to face the cold, hard truth. He squeezed his eyes shut as the memories of last night came flooding in to his mind, starting the mental torture that he know wouldn't leave him no matter what he do.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2: My Memory 

DISCLAIMER:

Tennis No Ohjisama does not belong to me. Yeah. I only own this fanfiction.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Yo. Yeah this is my very first Prince of Tennis fanfiction. The song in this fanfiction is Departure's Morning by Arashi. I'm not really sure that you guys will like the way I portrayed Ryoma's personality here. If it's a bit OOC then gomen. This was supposed to be one shot only but then when I finished writing it, I noticed that it's too long to be a oneshot fic. Well, enough with this senseless babble (not like you guys are reading this anyway. on with the fanfction.

SUMMARY:

She's leaving. He's torn between making her stay with him and letting her pursue her dreams. Ryoma x Sakuno

NOTES:

Text in **…….** : lyrics in japanese

Text in **(…….)** : lyrics in english

Flashback to last night's event 

Here he is, standing outside her apartment door, fidgeting slightly in his worn out blue jeans, black shirt and Seigaku Tennis jacket, complete with his white cap on his head. As he stared at the door, he realized with a sharp pang that he's wearing the shirt she gave him for his birthday 5 months ago. Has 5 months really passed by? It feels like yesterday to him.

**Minna no omoitsumete**

**(Laid everyone's regards)**

He sighed quietly, removed his cap and ran his hand through his hair, a habit he always does whenever he's nervous. Why the hell is he even here? He's not even sure she'll talk to him. Iie, he's SURE she won't talk to him. Not after all the stupid things he said to her months ago. He cursed silently, remembering all the harsh words that came out of his mouth the moment she broke the news to him.

"_So this is how everything ends? Fine then. Leave. I don't give a damn. Don't bother sending me any e-mail or better yet, DON'T BOTHER COMING BACK!" He shouted the last words at her. But his anger dissipated immediately the moment he saw her cry. He wanted to snatch back his words but he couldn't. He just couldn't. They stared at each other for a long while, her crying and him shaking silently in anger. Then, she slowly turned around, murmured a broken "I'm sorry" and walked away, leaving him standing there alone._

It took all of his willpower not to punch himself in the head. She doesn't deserve a single one of those stupid things he said to her. He shoved his now trembling fists in his pockets and took deep, calming breaths. He was the master of his emotions. How come he's being so reckless now? He sighed again and turned around, ready to flee back to his house and hide in his room for the rest of his life. Or at least until she left. Maybe then he'll have the courage to face the world again.

**Saigo ni furi muita**

**(I'll view them once again for the last time)**

No way. No fucking way. He can't face her. There's no way she'll forgive him. He said too much crap to her. Damnit! He shouldn't have let his mouth runaway without his brain! Stupid, stupid, stupid! Just when he was about to bolt and hide his face (and ass), the door behind him opened slowly and he heard her first words to him in what he felt was forever.

"I was starting to think you aren't even gonna bid me goodbye." She stated in a quiet voice.

**Shiawase wa itsumo tsukamitorumono**

**(Happiness is something that you must grasp tight)**

Ryoma's POV:

I was frozen in place, unsure of what to do. Should I talk to her?

_Of course you should. That's the main reason why you're here in the first place, right?_ A voice in my head answered.

Should I runaway?

_Yeah and show her just how much of a sissy you really are._

I snorted mentally at the thought. Right. I'd rather drink one of Sempai Inui's special drinks and die of diarrhea. I shuddered at the thought.

Should I get down at my knees and beg for her forgiveness?

_Naah. Too dramatic for Echizen the Jerk. How about kissing her senseless instead?_ The voice continued in a teasing tone.

I could picture the voice saying it with my trademark smirk. The very one I used to give my opponents just to piss them off. I shook my head slightly, mentally telling the voice (that is now starting to sound suspiciously like his oyaji) to shut the fuck up and get lost. Now, back to the present situation. I tried to think of what to do and yet as thousands of possible thoughts passed through my mind, none of them seemed right. I opened my mouth to speak but no words came out. Great. My mind decided to abandon me when I need it the most. I was mentally yelling at myself to start talking or at least DO SOMETHING before she decides to leave me there, either thinking I'm ignoring her or I've turned into a human statue. As if reading my thoughts, she chuckled lightly before speaking, her voice filled with suppressed amusement.

"Hey. Come on. Turn around will you please? I don't really think we can talk if you'll continue standing there like a monument of Buddha." She tugged at my jacket.

I opened my mouth to say my usual "Mada Mada Dane" but other words came out instead.

"I can't." I mentally slapped myself. I CAN'T? Where the FUCK did that come from? Not only did my brain refused to help me when I needed it the most, now it's making me say words I'm not supposed to! Damnit, I waited for WEEKS to talk to her, to apologize to her, and I say, "I CAN'T"? Ryoma no baka!

I was about to murder myself with my own hands when I felt hers wrap around my arm. I inhaled sharply as I felt the familiar spark course through my body. She slowly turned me around and I reluctantly followed her. Even now that we are facing each other, I kept my head down. I couldn't face her. Too much shame.

"Look at me." She ordered gently. When I refused to comply, she lifted my chin with her 2 fingers until my eyes met hers. Instead of being filled with anger, disgust or any negative emotions, I saw them soften and soon they were fast filling with tears. Tears of..joy? I wouldn't dare hope.

**Kimi ga iu minna no kao ga namida de yureru**

**(You told me that everyone's face seemed blurred in your tears)**

All my doubts faded when she gave me THAT smile. The smile that made me unconsciously fall for her the first time I saw it way back in junior high. The very same smile that she used to give me whenever she wished me good luck for my game or whenever she says "Arigato" to me for whatever simple thing I did for her. I swallowed hard. Somehow, no matter how assuring her smile may be at the moment, I couldn't shake of the feeling that things aren't gonna be as easy and comfortable as it used to be between us. Yeah. I'm 100 sure of that.

**End of POV**

TBC 


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3: Photographs 

DISCLAIMER:

Tennis No Ohjisama does not belong to me. Yeah. I only own this fanfiction.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Yo. Yeah this is my very first Prince of Tennis fanfiction. The song in this fanfiction is Departure's Morning by Arashi. I'm not really sure that you guys will like the way I portrayed Ryoma's personality here. If it's a bit OOC then gomen. This was supposed to be one shot only but then when I finished writing it, I noticed that it's too long to be a oneshot fic. Well, enough with this senseless babble (not like you guys are reading this anyway. on with the fanfction.

SUMMARY:

She's leaving. He's torn between making her stay with him and letting her pursue her dreams. Ryoma x Sakuno

NOTES:

Text in **…….** : lyrics in japanese

Text in **(…….)** : lyrics in english

He cleared his throat and pulled his arm from her grasp gently, his cat-like eyes looking at everything except her. He just didn't want to see the disappointment he knew would be present in her eyes, due to the fact that he pulled away. Silence reigned between the former lovers for a few moments before he decided to meet her eyes again. An awkward smile

"Aren't you gonna invite me in? Or did I come at a bad time?"

"I-iya. Gomen. Come on in." She opened her door and he entered, not for getting to leave his shoes in the hallway. He wandered into her living room as she closed the door and headed to the kitchen. To get them both a drink no doubt. He sat down at floor and let his eyes roam around the now almost empty room, with big boxes filled with her belongings arranged neatly by the bathroom door near the entrance. There are only a few more things left to be packed, like the clothes that are yet to be placed inside her suitcases, her tennis rackets that are hanged near her living room window, a gray colored wallclock and 3 photo frames placed on top of the tv set. He stood up and walked near the tv to get a closer look.

**Sora wo tobu yume ga tachi agaru**

**(Dreams that are flying in the air spread their wings)**

The 1st one contains a picture of her and her bestfriend Osakada Tomoka, taken after their graduation. Both of them are smiling prettily at the camera but faint traces of tears can be seen at their cheeks. He smiled ruefully. Girls will be girls. He then shifted his attention to the 2nd photo frame. This one has a photo of her and Osakada with the whole tennis team. She was standing beside him, wearing a shy smile. He, on the other hand, has a rather annoyed look on his face, due to the fact that his 2 sempai's, Momo and Kikumaru, has his head locked in their arms while their other hands are formed in a peace sign. He glanced at the last photo frame and this one caught his attention the most. The frame contains 2 pictures of them together but was shot in different scenarios. The left shows the picture that was taken by that female photographer who always comes to their games along with the writer who apparently knows his Oyaji. It was taken at Sempai Kawamura's restaurant way back when he was still a freshman. They were having a celebration after the team won against their rival school, considering the fact that he wasn't able to play that well since his eye got injured by a tennis racket. It was purely accident that they got that close in the photo, with her having her eyes closed as she bumped into him (no thanks to Momoshiro) and him looking at her at the corner of his eye (the fine one obviously), looking rather surprised. He smiled briefly at the memory. He had no idea she managed to get hold of a copy of that particular photo. It was their first unofficial photo together.

**Sono koe wo wasurenai**

**(It's a sound I'll never forget)**

He shifted his honey-colored eyes to the next photo, his smile fading slightly. The photo was taken on the night of their Graduation party, a week before their actual graduation. Both of them are standing beside each other with his arm wrapped around her small shoulder and her hugging him. She was smiling at the camera while he on the other hand has this rather soft smile on his face, a big difference from the usual scowl and smirk he usually wears. As much as he didn't want to admit it cause it sounds too…cheesy..for him, they DO look good together. The perfect picture of happiness. It was such a memorable night in a positive and negative way.

**Mienakutemo kienaiyou ni**

**(Even if I can't see it, I wouldn't want it to disappear)**

Positive, because it was the night when he first told her that he loves her. And it was also the night when she told him..that she's leaving.

**Kagaya keruyou ni**

**(Shine forever)**

"I have something to tell you." "Nani? Is something wrong?" 

"_I..I..I..love you."_

"_I'm leaving..Ryoma-kun..Gomen ne.."_

**Stay with me**

**(Stay with me)**

**TBC**


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4: Confessions of love and departure**

DISCLAIMER:

Tennis No Ohjisama does not belong to me. Yeah. I only own this fanfiction.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Yo. Yeah this is my very first Prince of Tennis fanfiction. The song in this fanfiction is Departure's Morning by Arashi. I'm not really sure that you guys will like the way I portrayed Ryoma's personality here. If it's a bit OOC then gomen. This was supposed to be one shot only but then when I finished writing it, I noticed that it's too long to be a oneshot fic. Well, enough with this senseless babble (not like you guys are reading this anyway. on with the fanfction.

SUMMARY:

She's leaving. He's torn between making her stay with him and letting her pursue her dreams. Ryoma x Sakuno

NOTES:

Text in **…….** : lyrics in japanese

Text in **(…….)** : lyrics in english

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

He opened his eyes in time to see her enter the living room, carrying 2 cans of Grape flavored ponta in each hand. He accepted the can she was offering him before sitting down across her.

"Thank you" he said in english. She smiled faintly in return.

"You're welcome."

They both sat in silence, both pretending to be busy with their soda. He decided to start the conversation, something very unusual for a guy as quiet as him.

**Benchi ni hitori ikokuhyou wo miru**

**(Looking at the time table on a bench alone)**

"I see that you're almost done packing up."

She looked up from her soda can and nodded.

"Hai. I decided to leave some of the furnitures here since I can't really bring all of them along. Oba-san said she'd be the one to handle things here."

"Sou da ne." was his only reply. He gestured to the photo of him and her at his sempai's place.

"I didn't know you have that picture with you." she blushed slightly before mumbling her answer.

"Saori-san gave that photo to me as a farewell gift. She suddenly remembered to look for it when she heard the news that I'm going. She gave it to me just last week. She chuckled softly, shaking her head. "Who would have thought that she'd still remember that photo after such a long time. That was like 3 years ago already."

He smirked. "Aa."

Silence.

**Mada mada tooi mezasu machi no nioi**

**(It felt so far, the town that I'll be heading to)**

He fidgeted in his seat. A quick glance at his watch told him that he's fast running out of time. He has to state his business now before it's too late. His hand tightened unconsciously around the can in his hand. He took a deep breath.

**Itsukamata meguri au hi ni**

**(When there comes this particular day that we meet again)**

"I..-"

"Arigato, Ryoma-kun."

The rest of his sentence forgotten, he raised his eyes to her, silently asking his question. She seemed to have read his mind for she replied.

"Thank you.. for coming. I.. I really thought you won't even say goodbye to me."

**Mune hatte ierukana ima ga ichiban shiawase to?**

**(Can we still get the courage to say that thus us the happiest moment?)**

He lifted his head to see her biting her lower lip, a childish habit she never got around to changing. He decided to stay silent and wait for her to continue.

"I know.. that after what I did to you.. I don't deserve your forgiveness." She laughed, shaking her head. "I was really starting to think you won't come to say goodbye to me. That's why I was surprised when I saw you standing outside my doorstep. I…I'm…really sorry. I know that my apology won't be able to undo everything that happened but I just want to say it anyway." She lifted her head and gave him a weak, watery smile. "You know what I regret the most? It's when I decided to accept the scholarship without even considering the feelings of you guys. I just accepted it, not even realizing that my decision will hurt you. Or I'll be leaving everything and everyone important to me behind. I was so happy when they told me the news that I didn't notice that I'm being selfish, only thinking about myself at that moment. And..and…gomen ne…gomen…" She was crying hard now, her tears continually flowing, her fragile body shaking uncontrollably.

**Machigai darake no mainichi mo aishite ikeruyou ni**

**(In order to still be worthy of being loved in my everyday life full of wrongdoings)**

He closed his eyes, his mind replying the painful moment on the supposed most special night of their life as a couple.

"I have something to tell you." He said in a quiet voice. Sakuno lifted her head to stare at her boyfriend. She seldom hear him talk this way. She leaned closer to him before asking softly. "Nani? Is something wrong?" He took her hand in his before pulling her into his emmbrace. He closed his eyes before mumbling out the words that he has been keeping inside him for such a long time. 

"_I..I..I..love you."_

_His confession was met with silence. Neither of them spoke for a long time. Then finally, he heard her speak._

"_You..love..me?"_

"_Hai." He answered back just as quietly. He felt her tense in his arms and he pulled back. Her head was bowed down, as if refusing to look at him. He lifted her head and was surprised to see tears running down her face. He wiped them with his hands, a rather confused look on his face._

"_Ne, why are you crying? I just said 'I Love you' to you. Not 'I'm leaving you.'" he joked. His attempts to make her smile only made her cry even harder. "Oy. Are you okay? Did I say something wrong?" He's really confused now._

"_Iie..iie…you..can't..not now..onegai..tell me that you don't mean that.." she whispered brokenly, tears still coming out of her eyes._

_He stared at her, bewildered. He's starting to have a bad feeling about this. It's like something..bad..is about to happen. And it did. Before he could ask her why she's talking that way, she pulled him into a hug, her arms wrapping around his neck. He returned her hug, pressing her closer to him. He rubbed soothing circles on her back, trying to stop her tears. He was confused yes, but if he wants to hear her explanation, she's got to stop crying first. If there's one thing he hates the most, it's seeing her cry. Gradually, her tears stopped and he pulled away from her._

"_I knew something was up. You haven't been acting yourself this past few weeks. Is something wrong?"_

_She took his hand in hers, squeezing it gently. He kept quiet, waiting for her to continue. _

"_Idecided to acceptthescholarshipforthatschoolinengland." She blurted out in a rush, not really meeting him in the eye._

_He froze. No. He heard wrong, didn't he? "What..did you say?"_

_She took a deep breath before starting to speak in a more controlled voice._

"_I..decided to accept the scholarship for that school in England. I… I was planning to tell you that for weeks but I couldn't gather enough courage to tell you the truth."_

**Kagaya keruyou ni**

**(Let my dreams shine)**

_Hearing her confirm what he heard earlier, he felt like he couldn't breathe. He couldn't think. No. This is just a dream. Or better yet, a joke. A bad joke. He stared at her incredulously, shaking his head slowly. No. She couldn't.. She wouldn't.. She couldn't lea-_

"_I'm leaving..Ryoma-kun..Gomen ne.."_

**Stay with me**

**(Stay with me)**

_And after she said those five words, he felt like his whole world has turned black._

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5: Selfishness**

DISCLAIMER:

Tennis No Ohjisama does not belong to me. Yeah. I only own this fanfiction.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Yo. Yeah this is my very first Prince of Tennis fanfiction. The song in this fanfiction is Departure's Morning by Arashi. I'm not really sure that you guys will like the way I portrayed Ryoma's personality here. If it's a bit OOC then gomen. This was supposed to be one shot only but then when I finished writing it, I noticed that it's too long to be a oneshot fic. Well, enough with this senseless babble (not like you guys are reading this anyway. on with the fanfction.

SUMMARY:

She's leaving. He's torn between making her stay with him and letting her pursue her dreams. Ryoma x Sakuno

NOTES:

Text in **…….** : lyrics in japanese

Text in **(…….)** : lyrics in english

He shakily took a deep breath to both calm his nerves and to stop the tears that he knew has appeared on his eyes. He couldn't cry. He WOULDN'T cry. No. Not in front of her. He won't add anymore guilt to her. He doesn't want her to suffer any longer. He has to make her feel better. To make her realize that it's not her fault. That she doesn't need to feel guilty for deciding for her future. He'll do anything for her. Even if it means hurting himself in the end. He opened his eyes before reaching out for her hand. She was still crying. As he motioned for her to sit beside him, he idly realized that everytime she sheds tears, he's always part of the reason why she's crying. As she sat down beside him, he pulled her to his chest and started to pat her gently on the back.

"You..don't have to say sorry." He mumbled into her beautiful brown hair. He felt her look up at him but he carefully forced her head back to its former position. He can't have her look at him while he was talking. If she did, he felt he wouldn't be able to hold back his emotions and ask her to stay with him instead. No. He won't do that. He can't afford to be selfish now. He willed himself to continue, trying to keep the hurt from reflecting in his voice.

**Shiawase wa itsumo tsukami to rumono**

**(Happiness is something that you must grasp tight)**

"You don't have to feel guilty. You're doing this for your own good. You accepted the scholarship because you know that it's something that will help you in your future, not because you want to hurt us. You've always been so giving to others that you didn't even realize that you're neglecting yourself and your happiness already. Remember when you kept on pushing Osakada to me because she likes me even though you're hurting yourself in the process? You're so giving that you're not leaving anything for yourself." He tightened his arms around her.

"Look, you're only feeling that way because you're not used to keeping something for yourself. You're not a bad person. Far from it. There were some times that I even question myself why the hell you chose me. Me, the number one jerk in the whole history of Seigaku while you're one of the almost considered 'saint' of the school." He chuckled lightly. "So don't think that accepting that chance to study abroad is a mistake. It's not. We are all so happy and proud of you. all of us. Remember that."

**Mune hatte ierukana koko ga ichiban shiawase to?**

**(Can we still get the courage to say that this is the happiest place?)**

"Demo…"

"Don't worry about us. We'll always be here for you. we'll wait for you to come back to us after you're through with your studies there. It doesn't really matter whether you're here in Japan or there in England. Time and distance, they say, are the things that can change everything when it comes to friendship. But I believe that you can prove that theory wrong. As long as you keep all the memories you have of us with you, you'll be fine. Okay?

**Sora wo tobu yume ga tachi agaru**

**(Dreams that were flying in the air spread their wings)**

He squeezed her shoulders gently as he let the words he said sink in to her mind. After a while, she lifted her head to look at him. She smiled gently before nodding her head, a sign that tells him she understood what he said.

Comforting words. Something she seldom hear come out of her ex-lover's mouth. He's usually so cool and calm, always cold and in control of the situation. Now that he's actually saying things without the usual smug smile on his face and the bored voice he's always using, Sakuno found herself welcoming the new yet temporary change in him. She then decided to lighten the thick and serious atmosphere that has enveloped them both after his speech. She smiled mischievously at him before stating in a teasing voice.

"You've really changed, ne? Way back when I first met you, you'll probably have your head hit by a thousand tennis balls before you'll say these kind of stuff. You've gotten softer, Ryoma-kun! Since when did you become so cheesy? Hmm?"

Upon remembering his words, he grimaced before giving her his trademark smirk.

"Mada mada dane, _Sakuno-chan_." He countered back rather cheekily.

Her smiled dropped when she heard the usual answer from him. She scowled slightly before her lips formed the pout that she knew he loved so much. "Mou… guess you haven't changed after all. Still cocky and so full of yourself" She muttered under her breath.

He smirked again before tapping her lightly on the forehead. "Of course. That's why you love me so much, ne?"

She stuck her tongue out at him. "Consider yourself lucky that I didn't have my tape recorder with me. If I somehow managed to tape all those cheesy things you just said, you'll never hear the end of it from Momo-sempai and Eiji-sempai." She pulled a long face. "Poor _Ryoma-sama_._" _She began laughing hard.

"Hn. Right." He muttered. He smiled gently as he stared at her laughing face. Even though he doesn't want to admit it, one thing's for sure.

_I'm gonna miss her so much._

**Sono koe wo wasurenai**

**(It's a sound I could never forget)**

To be completely honest, he didn't want her to leave. He wants her to stay by his side, cheer for him and make him feel happy. But he knew that he couldn't ask for that. Not after everything she did for him. He…loved her too much. That's why he's pretending he's okay. That's why he's telling her to go and not regret her decision. That's why..he's letting her leave. As she started to talk animatedly beside him, his mind wandered to his conversation with Fuji-sempai just the other day.

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER6: Conversation with the Genius**

DISCLAIMER:

Tennis No Ohjisama does not belong to me. Yeah. I only own this fanfiction.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Yo. Yeah this is my very first Prince of Tennis fanfiction. The song in this fanfiction is Departure's Morning by Arashi. I'm not really sure that you guys will like the way I portrayed Ryoma's personality here. If it's a bit OOC then gomen. This was supposed to be one shot only but then when I finished writing it, I noticed that it's too long to be a oneshot fic. Well, enough with this senseless babble (not like you guys are reading this anyway. on with the fanfction.

SUMMARY:

She's leaving. He's torn between making her stay with him and letting her pursue her dreams. Ryoma x Sakuno

NOTES:

Text in **…….** : lyrics in japanese

Text in **(…….)** : lyrics in english

"Still haven't talked to her?" 

_He looked up from his can of Ponta before lowering his cap again._

"_It's just you, Fuji-sempai." He answered, not giving any hint that he heard the other's question. Fuji sat beside him on the bench. A moment of silence reigned between them, both watching Momoshiro argue with Kaidoh, apparently forgetting that they are in the middle of a doubles tennis match against Seigaku's golden pair._

"_Kuso! That was such an easy shot and yet you weren't able to catch it! Stupid viper!" Momoshiro yelled._

"_Urusei! Ksssssshhh." _

"_Oy! Don't you dare tell me to shut up viper! We only have 1 set left!"_

"_Ksssssshhhh."_

"_Stop ignoring me! Stupid!"_

"_URUSEI!"_

"_Hoi hoi! Stop fighting! We're your opponents, remember? Not each other! Nya!" Kikumaru mewed. Beside him, his partner shook his head._

"_These two will never change."_

_As the argument continued, Fuji smiled to himself. Deciding to ignore the now heating up argument between the team's resident "baka" and "viper", he glanced at their team's "Ochibi" from the corner of his eye, mentally noting the way the kid's shoulder slumped slightly. Time and love, indeed, changes people. And this Prince beside him is not an exception. He faced forward again._

"_Why not ask her to stay."_

_Silence._

"_I can't do that."_

_Fuji glanced again at the boy beside him. So he finally discovered that he has a mouth eh?_

"_Why not."_

"_I can't rob her of something she deserves."_

"_Is she happy?"_

"_Yeah. She is."_

"_Are you happy?"_

_A pause._

"_Yeah. I am."_

_Fuji snorted softly. The boy's lying against his teeth._

"_Liar." He said calmly._

_The hand tightened around the can of soda for a few moments, creating a slight crunching sound before it stopped. Ryoma didn't answer._

"_I was once in that same situation."_

_The ochibi raised his head to glance at his sempai. The latter was starring right ahead but Ryoma could see how Fuji's eyes softened slightly. He didn't say anything._

"_I wanted her to stay. But then I decided against it. After all, who was I to make her stay. I'm neither her boyfriend nor her special someone. I'm just one of her close friends." Fuji smiled bitterly at the memory. "Before she left, she gave me letter. I was the only one she gave a letter to. She asked me to read it when I get home. When I finally read it, I was ready to go after her."_

"_What..what did she say?" Ryoma asked quietly._

"_She said that she didn't want to leave. She didn't want to leave..because of me. She confessed to have been loving me for 3 years but she didn't have the courage to tell me. Then, she said that all she has been waiting for is for me to tell her not to leave. If I did stop her, she'll take it as a sign that she should confess. But.. I didn't. that's why she left."_

_Ryoma glanced at his sempai, surprised to see that there were tears gathered in Fuji's eyes._

"_Did..did you love her?"_

"_..I did."_

_Silence._

"_Where is she now?"_

"_She's still there. In America."_

"_You..didn't go after her?"_

"_I wanted to. I was planning on going there. But. I'm already too late."_

"_She doesn't want to see you anymore?"_

"_She does.. but she's no longer allowed."_

_Rymoa understood what his sempai meant._

"_I see."_

_Fuji cleared his throat, his usual smiling face back in place._

"_You now get what I mean Echizen? If you don't do anything, you might regret it in the end."_

_He didn't answer. He didn't want to._

"_I'm asking you again. Are you happy that she's leaving?"_

"_I am."_

"_Lying won't do you any good."_

_Ryoma stood up suddenly, his back facing Fuji. His sempai stared at him for a long while, waiting for him to speak._

"_I..I am really happy for her. She deserves that scholarship. She worked hard for it."_

"…_but?" Fuji asked gently._

"_But..just because I'm happy for her..doesn't mean..i'm not hurt. I…I want her..to stay. Here. In Japan. With me." He turned his head to Fuji's direction, his cap till covering his eyes. _

"_But..as much as I want her to stay, I'm not gonna be selfish and stop her. I…care for her too much. That's why I'm doing this. Even if it meant losing her for good. Even though it hurts..like hell."_

_With those words, he turned around and began walking away. But not before hearing Fuji's last sentence._

"_Ask her once. If she doesn't stay, be happy. At least you won't have anything to regret."_

_Fuji looked on as Ryoma nodded his head once, an indication that he heard what his sempai said. Fuji smiled sadly at his younger teammate's direction before whispering to the air._

"_Do it Echizen. I would hate to see another Fuji, regretting to not have done something he should have."_

**Mienakutemo kienaiyou ni**

**(Even if I can't see it, I wouldn't want it to disappear)**

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER7: Stay with me**

DISCLAIMER:

Tennis No Ohjisama does not belong to me. Yeah. I only own this fanfiction.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Yo. Yeah this is my very first Prince of Tennis fanfiction. The song in this fanfiction is Departure's Morning by Arashi. I'm not really sure that you guys will like the way I portrayed Ryoma's personality here. If it's a bit OOC then gomen. This was supposed to be one shot only but then when I finished writing it, I noticed that it's too long to be a oneshot fic. Well, enough with this senseless babble (not like you guys are reading this anyway. on with the fanfction.

SUMMARY:

She's leaving. He's torn between making her stay with him and letting her pursue her dreams. Ryoma x Sakuno

NOTES:

Text in **…….** : lyrics in japanese

Text in **(…….)** : lyrics in english

Fuji's words kept repeating in his head. Should he? Should he try to make her stay? No. he couldn't. he shouldn't. He glanced down at her silently. She was now nestled against his chest, her hands drawing imaginary circles at her lap, obviously lost in thought. He took a quick peek at the wall clock behind him. Seeing that it was already 1:00am, he gently untangled himself from her before standing up and offering his hand to her.

"It's already late. I should go. You're flight's at 8am right?" She nodded as she took his hand and stood up before escorting him down the hall, to the entrance. They stopped at the hallway, with the door right infront of them.

"Anou.."

"There's something I forgot to tell you." He cut her off. He turned around before bowing slightly.

"Gomen ne. For saying all those harsh words to you. I was just..mad back then."

She smiled at him. "No problem. I know you don't mean any of them. Don't worry about it."

He returned her smile with one of his own before saying. "I guess this is goodbye then."

She nodded her head slowly. "Yeah. Goodbye..for now. Can I.." She hesitated.

He raised his eyebrow at her, waiting for her to continue. She blushed slightly before starting again.

"Can I..Can I atleast get a goodbye hug?" She mumbled.

He complied with her last request. She wrapped his arms around him and he did the same. She felt so right in his arms. He opened his mouth to speak but shut it almost immediately. No. he mustn't be selfish. He kissed her forehead before opening the door and stepping out of her apartment. It felt as if they went right back to square one. With him having his back to her and her standing right behind him, her hand on the doorknob. He heard her sigh before saying quietly.

"Sayonara. Ryoma-kun."

She closed the door.

As she did, something in him SNAPPED. On impulse, he turned around and rapped his hand 2 times on her door.

_No.._

She opened the door.

_I…._

She stared at him confused.

Couldn't… 

"What is it Ryoma-kun? Did you forget something?"

_Lose.._

He hugged her close to him, his eyes squeezed shut.

**Kagaya keruyou ni**

**(Shine forever)**

_Her._

"Stay with me." He whispered.

**Stay with me**

**(Stay with me)**

_May God forgive me for being selfish. I just couldn't._

It was already dusk when she approached the still sleeping figure on her futon. He was sprawled on her futon, lying face down on the pillow.She stared at him, tears falling silently from her eyes. She placed her hand on his face gently, savoring the feel of his skin on hers. She won't be able to feel this for a very long time. She leaned down and kissed him gently on the forehead.

_One last time.._

_One last kiss.._

_Before goodbye.._

"Gomen ne..Ryoma-kun.." she mumbled weakly in his ear. She stood up quietly, being careful not to wake him up. "Demo..I can't stay.."

She glanced at him one last time before opening the door and letting herself out, trying to ignore the pain. She's leaving him. She's leaving everything behind.

_It hurts..but it's for the best.._

As the door slowly locked shut..

**Soro soro ikune**

**(It's about time to go)**

A yellow-colored eye opened to see her go, and the moment the door locked..

He closed his eyes.

A tear fell.

**Ashita e aruki dasu**

**(I'll walk toward tomorrow)**

_End of flashback_


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER8: She's gone..and I'm alone**

DISCLAIMER:

Tennis No Ohjisama does not belong to me. Yeah. I only own this fanfiction.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Yo. Yeah this is my very first Prince of Tennis fanfiction. The song in this fanfiction is Departure's Morning by Arashi. I'm not really sure that you guys will like the way I portrayed Ryoma's personality here. If it's a bit OOC then gomen. This was supposed to be one shot only but then when I finished writing it, I noticed that it's too long to be a oneshot fic. Well, enough with this senseless babble (not like you guys are reading this anyway. on with the fanfction.

SUMMARY:

She's leaving. He's torn between making her stay with him and letting her pursue her dreams. Ryoma x Sakuno

NOTES:

Text in **…….** : lyrics in japanese

Text in **(…….)** : lyrics in english

He opened his eyes slowly, letting them adjust to the bright light that is now scattered around the room. He glanced around to find nothing left of her belongings. He smiled bitterly.

_So she really did leave..ne.._

He stood up to get ready to leave when he saw something lying beside the futon. He picked it up.

It was a tennis ball. The one that has his face on it.

This time, he couldn't help himself.

He let a tear drop.

She's gone… 

Who would have thought that he, the so-called "Prince of Tennis" will cry for the first time after so many years..over a girl.

He knew that crying is useless. It won't change anything. The world will still continue to turn, the sun will still rise in the east and set in the west, and people will still go on with their daily lives. No, crying won't change anything. Crying..won't bring her back to him. Crying..won't change the fact that she left. Crying..won't turn back time.

As if to taunt him even more, he heard his watch beep. He glanced down at it to see that it was already 10am. It was then that reality hit him like a brick.

_Ryuzaki Sakuno, the 1st girl he loved, is gone._

And..

More tears fell from his eyes.

_Echizen Ryoma, the Tennis genius, is left all alone._

..owari..


End file.
